


Clearing the Smoke

by mizufallsfromkumo



Series: Till the End of the Line [2]
Category: Common Law
Genre: Alternate Universe - Marvel Avengers Fusion, Captian America!Travis, Gen, Marvel Universe, Memory Loss, Winter Soldier!Wes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 12:04:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1940394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizufallsfromkumo/pseuds/mizufallsfromkumo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Travis knew the search for Wes was not going be an easy one, just like he knew Wes’ file from Kate wasn’t going to be an easy read.  Both proved to be ten times the challenge he thought they would be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clearing the Smoke

**Author's Note:**

> More for everyone!

Travis knew the search for Wes was not going be an easy one, just like he knew Wes’ file from Kate wasn’t going to be an easy read.  Both proved to be ten times the challenge he thought they would be.  

 

Wes had been a ghost, the very essence of a myth, throughout the span of seventy some years.  Travis knew finding him wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.  But he had hoped the fact that facade of the weapon he had cracked and the parts of Wes had started to seep through might have made Wes easier to track.  However, that wasn’t the case. If anything it seemed to be even harder to find Wes.

 

Yet at the same time, Travis would see him everywhere.  Flickers of his face or hair.  Just enough to fill Travis with a hope.   Yes, I found him.  Only for Travis to find it wasn’t the case.  It would be someone else, and he looked like a fool.  Part of him knew it was his mind playing tricks on him.  It knew what he wanted so it supplied it, or that’s how Randi put it.  Still there was a part of him that hung onto the fact that Wes just slipped away. Sometimes he wondered if Wes wandered back to where they grew up, but there was nothing to suggest he did.

 

The file had been a different story.  He had chosen to forego Kate’s cautious warning, because it wasn’t a string he wanted to pull at, it was a string he  needed to pull at.  Yet it took him a day to get past the first two pages.  It wasn’t the kills that bother Travis, because he knew that wasn’t Wes.  No, what bothered him was how they made him.   God, Wes, what did they do to you .  Travis had thought helplessly as he started at the picture of Wes in his uniform.  

 

In the end Randi helped him sort the parts of the file he couldn’t face alone.  Her unattached disgust with what they did helped Travis handle it.  She also was able to highlight the fact that mindless or not, Wes survived.

 

Months pass after the whole SHIELD/Hydra scandal.  Travis used all the time and resources he had to find Wes.  He tracked events that could possible be Wes.  Like a suspect who broke out of his handcuffs, kicked a police squad car door off it’s hinges and escaped into oncoming traffic to some sighting in the park.  It doesn’t lead them anywhere, but it was something.

 

Travis went through homeless shelters in hopes that Wes might turn up.  Randi takes him to homeless towns when she visits the veterans there from time to time.  Travis always brings a picture, but no one ever sees Wes.  Sometimes he wonders through alleyways, because that was where Wes always found him.  Maybe, just maybe, the universe would let him return the favor.  He called a list of hospitals in the area just to see.  However he doubts Wes would wander into a hospital had he been injured.  If anything he would probably crawl back to where ever the monsters kept him and wait to be fix.  At the end of every week, Travis called the morgue, always praying they never have someone that matches Wes’s description.  They never do.

 

It all paid off when he finally found Wes.  

 

It was pouring down rain, and Wes was huddled under some make shift shelter.  The shelter looked more like a pile a of trash, and it was doing little to keep out of the rain.  Wes was as far in the shelter as he could manage.  His knees were pulled closed, and his arms were crossed on top like a pillow, and his head was resting against the side of his good arm.  He was completely still, and Travis had wondered if he was sleeping.  Wes’ eyes were closed when he leaned over a bit to see.

 

However the moment Travis squatted down in front of Wes, the blue eyes snapped open, wide and alert.  The look in them was still rather blank, but Travis watched Wes raise his head and shift his eyes, before he narrowed them in thought.

 

“Hey, remember me?”  Travis asked with a friendly smile.

 

Wes stared at him. but not as blankly as the first few times.  Travis could see the gears of his mind turning.  A few minutes passed, and Travis was going to tell Wes it was okay if Wes didn’t know who he was, when Wes opened his mouth.  “...Travis.”  Wes said, with some recognition in his voice. 

 

“Yeah,”  Travis nodded happily, his smile widening.  “Good, that’s good.”

 

“We fought…”  Wes stated.  Travis glanced down at the ground to hide the fact that his expression dropped.  “...Together.” 

 

Travis looked up sharply at the word.  The movement made Wes tense suddenly and there was a panic look to him. Travis just smiled and let out a breath of a laugh.  

 

“We did.  In Germany during World War Two.  You, me, and the Howling Commandos.  Remember?”

 

Wes didn’t answer and averted his eyes in such a manner that could only be out of fear of saying something.  It was enough of an answer for Travis.  He figured it was likely a yes.  Hydra had erased Wes’ mind.  Saying he remembered something was not something they had wanted.  Travis sighed and placed a hand on Wes’ elbow.  Wes went rigid and turned to stare at it.  Travis smiled, he had half expected Wes to lash out and break his hand.

 

“Hey, it’s a good thing you remember.”  Travis said softly

 

Wes opened his mouth to object, but then closed it.  He was silent for a moment.  “I told you not to look for me.”

 

“Please, Wes, I never listen to you.”  Travis smiled out. 

 

The blonde shifted at the sound of his name.  He looked at Travis desperately, and there was a buzzing from his robotic arm.  Travis swallowed lightly.  He wasn’t sure if he screwed everything up.  However Wes just swallowed and glanced at the road. Travis was silent for a moment.  He waited for Wes to turn back to look at him, which the blonde did after a few minutes. 

 

Lightly, Travis squeezed at Wes’ good elbow, causing Wes to look at his hand like he was trying to assess if it was a threat or not.  “Alright, first things first, let’s get you out of the rain.”  Travis said brightly.

 

He straightened up, gently pulling at Wes to get him to come out.  Wes doesn’t put up a fight, he completely lets Travis pulled him to his feet.  There was an empty look to Wes has he let Travis pull him up.  Travis gave him a weak smile as he kept a hold on Wes’ arm, and held the umbrella over his head.  Wes glanced up it for a second, before he glanced back at Travis.  Suddenly he shoved it back over Travis.  Travis just put it back over him.

 

“What are you doing?”  Wes asked blankly, like no one ever held an umbrella over his head.  

 

Travis tried not to think about the fact that no one probably did hold an umbrella over Wes head.  Or ask if he was warm enough.  Or if he was hungry or tired.  Hell no one probably even asked him if he was okay.

 

“Keeping you dry...or rather stopping the rain from hitting you anymore.”  Travis answered.

 

“But you’re getting wet.”  Wes pointed out, Travis just shrugged.  Wes sharply shoved the umbrella back over Travis, his brows pulled together.  “You’ll get sick, Travis.”  He snapped.

 

Travis’ eyes widened, because suddenly there in front of him is Wes, completely.  Not some blank confused looked in his eye, a very fierce, protective, you-know-better look.  The one he always gave when Travis so much as decided to forgot a scarf on a cool autumn day.   Travis, you catch everything and you have just about everything under the sun, you have to be careful.  Travis sees an opportunity.

 

“Fine, if you don’t come under the umbrella, I’ll close it.”

 

Wes stared at him for a moment.  There is no sharp return of  Don’t you dare, or challenge, or threat of any kind.   Just Wes looking at him like he knew he should get under the umbrella, but he didn’t necessarily know why.  He stepped under the umbrella and glanced down at his feet.  Travis doesn’t exactly mind the absence of a witty remark.

 

“Let’s get you back to my place.  We’ll get you dry, put a nice warm meal in your stomach, and pull out the bed in the couch.”  Travis said nudging Wes towards the road likely.  Wes goes slowly, like he was unsure.  Travis watched him carefully for any sign of him getting ready to bolt.  “All you have to do is shine my shoes, and take out the trash once or twice.”

 

Wes stopped dead in his steps.  He turned to look at Travis like he was just told some horrifying secret  It was similar to how he looked on the carrier the moment before the glass shatter.

 

"I’m so sorry.”  Wes breathed, and Travis braced for a blow that never came.

 

“For what?”

 

“A lot.”

 

Travis looked at Wes, who looked like he had half an idea of what he was doing.  He could see there was some things that flicked across Wes face.   Sorry I tried to kill you.  Sorry I don’t remember you.  Sorry I don’t remember me.   Travis sighed as a sudden shiver racked it’s way down Wes’ spine, though Wes look unfazed by it.

 

Travis smiled and carefully placed his hand on Wes’ shoulder that was furthest for him.  “It’s okay.”  Travis said rubbing at his shoulder, before he pulled Wes a little closer, and started walking  “Now, let’s get you home.”

 

Wes followed without struggle.

 

\----  ----  ----

 

Once Travis got Wes to his place, he immediately told Wes to get out of his wet clothes.  Wes did so almost robotically, and he let Travis help him out as well.  Travis let out a breath when he saw Wes’ back and torso.  It wasn’t as scared or battered as much as Travis had thought, but it was still a sight.  Wes’ lean build was still in place, he was just skinnier than what he use to be.  He reached out to touch Wes’ shoulder where the robotic arm was attached, finding the other’s skin was cool to the touch.  Wes jumped a little at the feeling, before he straightened up so Travis could look at him.

 

Travis apologize with a sad smile, before sitting Wes down at his dining room table.  Wes followed Travis lead and sat down, staring blankly ahead when Travis left to fetch a towel.  When he returned, Wes shivering ever so slightly, but he had made no movement to attempt to warm himself.  Travis sighed, and grabbed a throw blanket from his couch.  Carefully, Travis wrapped the blanket around Wes.  It surprised him, but he held the ends when Travis placed them in his hands.

 

“I’m going to dry your hair, then have you change into some dry clothes.”  Travis explained, before he put the towel over Wes’ head.

 

Travis cautiously moved Wes’ head to he could dry his hair.  He half expected Wes to resist, but his just docilely let Travis do what he needed.  Travis swallowed a bit at the observation and tried not to let it bother him, but it did.  He was so use to Wes being stubborn and ignoring his parents wishes.  It was odd to see Wes just submit to what was happening to him.  

 

Gently, Travis dried Wes’ shoulder length hair.  He carefully rung out each piece of hair a rubbed at Wes’ scalp. Wes suddenly grabbed Travis’ wrist with his robotic arm, and turned his head up to look at Travis.

 

“How many, Travis?”  He asked, with a sort of desperation in his voice.

 

“How many what?”  Travis asked back.

 

“How many people…”  Wes suddenly trailed off, however Travis still got the idea.

 

He sighed and moved a chair out from under the table so he could sit across from Wes.  “I don’t know Wes.”  Travis lied slightly.  He had an idea, the file Kate had given him had a few details or news clippings.  There wasn’t an exact number, but he knew it was enough to crush Wes if he wasn’t careful.  “That’s not important right now though.”

 

Wes hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded.  Travis gave him a weak smile  before pulling it back into a ponytail with a hair tie Randi had left laying around in the bathroom.  Wes was still for a second when Travis was done and had pulled away, before he shifted.  Travis just handed him a sweat shirt and pants to change into.  Wes changed into the clothes quickly, dropping the blanket and his remaining wet clothes like it was nothing.

 

Travis moved to his record player and sorted through some of his old records he had managed to get his hand on.  He picked something randomly, before he moved to make something to eat.  Wes sat down back in the seat he had been in before, and kind of watched Travis with distant eyes.  He started to fidget after a while, and Travis told him he could walk around.   Travis watched as Wes moved silently and observe some of the “antics” Alex had helped him obtain.

 

Dinner was ready in a short amount of time.  Travis was thankful for frozen meals he could just throw in the oven to cook.  Wes looked at him oddly when Travis put down two plates and motioned for him to seat at one, and hesitantly moved to sit with him.  Travis smiled and put a decent size helping on Wes’ plate.  Wes stared at it before his eyes shifted to Travis.

 

“Go ahead, eat.”  Travis commanded.

 

Wes did, he picked at it for a few minutes before he devoured it.  Much like he had when Travis got him out of the Hydra prison and they gave him a full decent meal.   It’s not from a can, Travis, it’s an actual cooked meal, I could cry.  Don’t laugh!   Travis smiled when Wes plate was emptied.  He wanted to shovel more on his plate, but he wasn’t sure when the last time Wes ate, or if he had ever had a decent meal under Hydra. So for they would take it slow.  Wes watched Travis finish off his own helping. 

 

The blondes eyes started to droop after a while, it wasn’t much but it was enough for Travis note it.  He knew Wes was probably beyond exhausted, or at least covering up the fact that he was tired.   Because weapons don’t get tried, Travis thought to himself briefly as he started to clear the table.  He placed dishes in the sink before he directed Wes to his bedroom.

 

There was more trust in Wes’ step as Travis lead him to his room, and he didn’t seem to go simply because Travis was pulling and directing him alone.  Wes still laid on the bed when he was told, and he let Travis put the covers over him.  He laid completely still before glancing  at Travis like he wasn’t too sure what he was suppose to do.  Travis just instructed him to go to sleep as he moved to close his blinds a bit tighter.  Wes has closed his eyes when Travis left the room, but the darker man knew the other was still awake.

 

Travis sighed as he clicked the door shut.  He leaned against the door for a moment and closed his eyes.  He breathed a curse.  Wes had been through hell, been shaped into some soldier that did as he was told too much.  And while he let Travis help, for all he knew, Wes could be climbing out the window and fleeing.  The thought made Travis want to tear open his bedroom door and see, but he resisted.

 

You found him once, Marks, you could find him again.  Travis thought as he moved away from the door.  

 

He walked to the record player and switched out the record to a soft sort of jazz melody.  The kind he always remembered Wes liking,  because you can just sway Travis, it’s intimate.  Travis turned back to dining room and finished clearing the table before he went to do the dishes.  He called Randi as few minutes after his put the dishes away.

 

“I found him,”  Travis admitted almost immediately.  “I found him, Randi.”

 

“Oh...that’s good.”  She replied sounding surprised and cautious.  She was quiet for a moment, like she was waiting for Travis to babble or say something.  “Do you won’t me to come over?”

 

Travis gave her a small possibility of later, saying he wanted to handle Wes on his own for a while.  Randi understood on the other end, but Travis could still sense some of her worry.  He was glad he hadn’t told her about his, because it could turn into some lengthy conversation he didn’t necessarily want currently.

 

Once he hung up with Randi he dropped down on his couch.  He rested his head on the cushions and closed his eyes.  Listening to the music as it moved through the air, he thought back, as he has since he woke up in the hospital bed, to how Wes had been after Travis thought he saved him from Hydra.  All the little things, that weren’t quite Wes, that Travis should have noticed.  The blank look that would cross his face, or the dead look he could get in his eyes in close range fighting.  Or the fact the he healed quicker, and it took a little more force than usual to take him down.  The past was the past however.

 

The recorded ended, and Travis got up to check on Wes.  He pushed his bedroom door open sofly, peeking his head in to look at his bed.  The covers were tossed to the side, Travis sighed.  He pushed into the room more, glancing at the window, finding it looked untouched.  Still, Wes seemed to have the ability to slide in and out of places unnoticed.  However his eye caught light reflected off the floor.  He turned to look, and found Wes curled up on the floor by the foot of the bed.  

 

Travis breath caught, and he whispered a thank you towards the sky.  Slowly he moved towards Wes.  The blonde didn’t make any movement, aside from taking a silent, but deep, sleep filled breath.  Carefully, Travis kneeled beside him, taking a breath of relief when Wes’ eyes didn’t snap open. 

 

“Hey, Wes,”  Travis said as he reached out and shook Wes lightly.  “Wes, wake up.”  Wes jumped awake a bit at the touch.  It pained Travis to see Wes spring up like that.  “Sorry.”  Travis apologized and Wes scrambled sit up some.  Travis placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him a bit.  “What are you doing sleeping on the floor?”

 

“The bed…”  Wes started, “it felt like…”

 

“A cloud? You were sinking?”  Travis supplied, Wes just nodded.  “I know, what you mean, I’ve been there before, sometimes it still gets me.  It’s normal for soldiers who came back home from war.  But, Wes, baby, you need to sleep on the bed.”

 

Wes swallowed a bit and glanced at the bed.

 

“Please, baby.  You need it.”

 

“I don’t want too.”  Wes said with a sense of fear in his voice.  “I’ll sink to the floor.”

 

Travis gave a small laugh at the word.  “You won’t, I’ll make sure of it.”

 

Wes glanced at him for a moment, before he nodded and moved to get up.  Travis smiled and guided Wes back to the bed.  Wes crawled back into the bed, and let Travis cover him up again.  Wes shifted briefly, before he settled, Travis sat on the edge of the bed beside him.

 

“I’ll make sure you don’t sink.”  Travis said reaching out to pet at Wes’ hair slightly.  “Go to sleep, I got you.”

 

The blonde fought of sleep for a few moments, before it either claimed him or he stopped fighting.  Travis watched him for a while.  He watched Wes nuzzle into the pillow.  He watched his fingers twitched slightly and his chest rise and fall.  He waited till he knew for sure Wes was asleep for good before he got up for the bed.  

 

Travis hardly made it a foot away from his bedroom door, before he basically collapsed against the hallway wall.  He slid down to sit on the floor, and curled up against it.  He didn’t realize he was crying till he tasted salt in the corner of his mouth.

 

For the first time since he woke up in the 21st century, Travis sobbed and let it all out.

 

\----  ----  ----

 

Randi came with Hudson an hour after Travis called her in the morning. Travis had passed out on the couch after he collected himself enough to drag himself away from his bedroom.  When he woke up in the morning, he was still happy to see Wes was still asleep in the bed.  Curled tightly in the sheets, and nuzzled into the pillow. Travis had figured Randi might be of some help with Wes, or a likely renforcement if Wes went postal.  Wes was still passed out when Randi arrived.  

 

“I see he didn’t climb out your window last night,”  Randi said as she peeked her head into Travis bedroom.  Travis snorted, but kept the fact that Wes slept on the floor for a bit to himself.  Randi grinned at him, before turning back to Wes. “It’s so weird,”  she paused, “to see him like this.  He looks completely harmless.”

 

“He pretty much is.”  Travis said.  “He just kind of let him guide him and did what I told him.  I mean there were moments where Wes kind of came through loud and clear, but he just seemed like a confuse kid.”

 

“Damn.”

 

They left Wes alone after that.  Leaving him to sleep for however long he needed, Travis only peeked in every so often to make sure Wes didn’t wake up and disappear on him.  They kept themselves busy.  Travis entertained Hudson, while Randi sorted through Wes’ file some.  To refresh and prepare herself helping Wes.  He isn’t exactly the type of people she usually deals with daily at the Veterans center.

 

It was around three when Wes emerged hesitantly from Travis bed room.  His hair falling out of his ponytail a bit, and he held his arms close to his body.  Hudson ran to greet him.  Wes tensed, half reaching towards his hip.  Hudson stopped at the sight, his tail dropped a bit and his ears perked up, before he trotted over to Wes.  He nuzzled at Wes’ hand, licking at it lightly, and wagging his tail.  Wes pulled his hand away at the feeling and kind of shrinked back.  

 

“Good boy Hudson,”  Travis smiled out as he quickly approached, Wes relaxed a bit at the sight of him.  Hudson trotted to him for a few pats before Travis directed him to go to Randi.  “You didn’t disappear of me.”  

 

“You’d probably just go after me, and drag me back here again.”  Wes said with a familiar annoyance.  

 

“That’s is true.  Sleep good?”

 

Wes just nodded.

 

“Alright, let’s get you something to eat then.”

 

Travis lead Wes to the dining room table, where Randi was finishing shoving Wes file away.  Randi gave him a wide smile and dropped a comment about sleeping beauty that just kind of flew over Wes’ head.  He sat Wes across from her, before he moved to make Wes something to eat.  Hudson gave a whine, but he still followed Travis into the kitchen.

 

“You had the wings, right?”  Travis heard Wes ask randomly.

 

“Yeah,”  Randi said encouragingly. 

 

“I kind of destroyed them.”  

 

“Yeah, no big deal.  They were the last pair, but Zehetner got her hands on the designs and is making me a ‘new and improved’ pair.  So thanks for that.”

 

Wes was silent.  

 

“I’m Randi.”  She said suddenly.  Travis turned to see Randi holding out her hand and Wes staring at it like he wasn’t sure what to do with it.  “We haven’t formally meet.  You did a lot more attempted murder when we first meet than actual talking.”

“Sorry.”  Wes said, and Randi made a sound.  She kept her hand out, and Wes moved to take it slowly.  His eyes flickered to Travis.  “I’m Wes.”

“Nice to meet you, Wes.”  Randi replied with a wide grin.

Travis grinned to himself.  He grabbed the plate he made for Wes, and returned to the dining room.  He moved placed it in front of Wes and sat down at the head of the table.

**Author's Note:**

> So I have two more planned fics for theses (three possible but not sure).


End file.
